A new report from the Program on Local and Intergovernmental Studiesat the University at Albany details the cost of lawsuits on municipalities across New York State, finding that the disparity among counties is fairly widespread. Researchers tracked five years of budget data to assess the impact of lawsuits on municipalities.

“New York is undergoing an unprecedented, close examination of government spending and we hope this report will show policymakers the cost of lawsuits on New York’s municipalities,” said Sydney Creswell, senior researcher at the University at Albany. “With every line item under scrutiny, there is no reason these costs should be overlooked.”